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Fall 2025 Alumni Spotlight: The Blasys
When people think of Dow High Hockey, they remember its strong tradition, teamwork, and talented players. The Blasy family has been influential in Charger hockey for many years.
Coach Dick Blasy Jr. and his son, Luke, have been a strong part of this legacy of starting from Coach Dick Blasy Sr., who coached the team from 1977 to 2003.
Dick Jr. grew up with Charger Hockey, starting as a "stick boy" in his elementary years and later helping to run the door at games. By his sophomore year, he joined the team and played forward for the remainder of his high school years. After college, Dick Jr. became a science teacher at Dow High. Then, served as an assistant coach for eight years before becoming head coach for 19 years after his father's retirement.
In his final years of coaching, he had the pleasure of coaching his son, Luke, who played forward for the team from 2017 to 2020. Luke also played forward on the 2020 team, which was a successful season heading into the state semifinals, until the unfortunate closure due to COVID-19 shutdowns.
In 2022, Coach Blasy led the team to a memorable and historical state championship and retired in 2022.
As you can see, the Blasy family has truly been an integral part of the Charger Hockey legacy.
Both Blasys continue to be a part of Charger hockey, whether it’s coming to support the team for a locker room pep talk, attending games, participating in alumni events, or attending the annual golf outing.
Dick Blasy Jr.
Year(s) Played: 1987-1990
Position(s) Played or Role(s): Forward & Coach
Dow High Assistant Coach: 1995-2003
Dow High Head Coach: 2003-2022
Post High School Experience:
Ferris State Club hockey for 2 years
Michigan State University: Graduated with a teaching degree in biology and chemistry.
Midland Public Schools: Science teacher
Roles/Recognition: Alternate Captain. Voted MVP junior year.
Senior Year: Captain, 1st Team All-Valley: Junior and Senior years.
Currently:
Retired from teaching in 2023. Currently: Online mentor and science teacher for Link Learning in Merrill.
Favorite Dow High Hockey Memory:
Winning the state championship in 2022
Dow High Hockey Impact
“It has been a part of my life for almost my entire life. My dad was the coach from 1977-2003, so it was part of my life since I was in kindergarten. Prior to playing for my dad at Dow, I was a stick boy and on the bench working the door for a few years. My brother did the same thing before playing for Dow, and my sister was the team manager when she attended Dow High. Dow hockey has truly been a family affair and has been a part of my life for about 45 years.”
Luke Blasy
Year(s) Played: 2017-2020
Position(s) Played or Role(s): Forward
Currently: Attending Michigan State University, studying Civil Engineering
Favorite Dow High Hockey Memory: "Anytime being with teammates, from practices to team dinners."
Dow Hockey’s Impact:
“Dow Hockey gave me the opportunity to make lifelong friends. I still see Many of my teammates today, and even the ones I don't see as often, it's always nice to catch up with them.”
Alumni Spotlight Winter 2025
The Johnsons
The Johnsons: Hockey at the Heart of Family
This edition of our Charger Hockey Spotlight highlights a family legacy centered around hockey. The Johnson family truly embodies the spirit of the sport.
Dennis Johnson played defense for Dow High School from 1982 to 1984. His wife, Jennifer, grew up in a Dow hockey family. Her brothers, Josh and Eli Jones, as well as Dennis' brother Mike, played for Dow in the late 1990s.
After getting married, Dennis and Jennifer welcomed three sons: Joe, Charley, and Sam. All three boys play hockey, and Dennis has actively coached them throughout their early years, guiding them along the way.
Dennis and Jennifer have dedicated much of their time to supporting them in achieving their goals.
Joe and Charley played for Dow High, and their youngest son, Sam, grew up attending Dow High hockey games, cheering for his brothers and cousin. Sam is currently playing AAA hockey with the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies. All four Johnson men have played defense.
The Johnson family cherishes their memories of Dow High hockey and the lasting connections, friendships, and camaraderie that it has fostered.
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Year(s) and Position(s) Played for Dow Hockey
Dennis: Defense 1982-1984
Joe: Defense 2017-2019
Charley: Defense 2018-2021
Post High School Experience:
Dennis: Played recreationally. Coaching son’s hockey teams.
Joe: Junior hockey: 2019-20 Leamington Flyers(GOJHL), 2020-21 Metro Jets (USPHL)
College: Wilkes University (NCAA D3) 2021-25
Charley: Plays recreationally.
Currently:
Dennis: Optometrist, Midland Eye Care
Joe: Completing final semester at Wilkes University. Studying Mechanical Engineering
Charley: He is finishing his last semester at MSU’s James Madison College.
Favorite Dow High Hockey Memory:
Dennis: “Coach Blasy and 'The Hill Run' with the boys.”
Joe: “Playing with my brother Charley and rivalry games vs. Midland High.”
Charley: “Team dinners the night before games.”
Impact of Dow Hockey on Your Life:
Dennis: “The love of the game.”
Joe: “Dow Hockey was a great experience. Playing for my school was awesome, and I made many friends along the way.
We still get together to play drop-in over Christmas break. I am proud to have played for the same team as my dad, uncles, cousin, and brother did.”
Charley: “It gave me a new meaning of brotherhood. Many of my teammates I only got to play with for 3 years, but they became friends for life.”
Past Alumni Spotlight Features
Past Alumni Spotlight Features
Alumni Spotlight Fall 2024 The Sanders Family:
A Charger Hockey Family
Hockey is often described as a family, and for the Sanders family, it truly is a significant part of their lives. Dr. Derek Sanders played hockey for Dow High from 1988 to 1990. He later married his high school sweetheart, Katie. Together, they have two sons, Brendan and Nolan, who also played hockey for Dow High.
Each of the Sanders men have proudly worn the number 6 on their jerseys.
Their family has been able to cheer on Charger hockey for two generations and have the lasting memory of winning the State Championship in 2022.
Year(s) and Position(s):
Derek: Forward (1988-1990)
Brendan: Forward (2015-2018)
Nolan: Forward (2018-2022)
Post-High School Experience: Dr. Sanders attended Hope College and played baseball. Brendan played hockey at Hope College and won two National Championships. Nolan is currently playing hockey at Hope College, too.
Currently: Dr. Sanders is a dentist here in Midland. Brendan graduated from Hope College, went to Northwood University, and earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration. He is currently working on a career in marketing. Nolan is presently at Hope College working on a BS in Chemical Engineering.
Favorite Dow High Hockey Memory:
Dr. Sanders: "To be honest my memories of Dow Hockey span over 30 years. From the off-ice workouts with Coach Blasy Sr. (which were no joke, he was a USA Speedskater), winning the Valley, and making a good run my senior year were all great. But, probably my favorite memories are of watching both of my sons wear the same number (6) and having such great success. Plus they got to experience the same camaraderie and lifelong friendships that I have enjoyed. Dow High Hockey is a brotherhood…a family."
Brendan: "Beating Midland High my senior year."
Nolan: "Scoring the game-winning goal in the state finals my senior year."
Charger Hockey Impact:
Dr. Sanders: "Lifelong friendships. Commitment, hard work, and sacrifice are key to success in everything we do in life. It’s expected when you don the jersey at Dow and that mentality sets you up for success in life. Skate, score, win!"
Brendan : "High school hockey has been incredibly valuable in shaping essential life skills, especially in leadership, hard work, and team building. Through my experience on the ice, I learned that effective leadership means setting an example, staying calm under pressure, and encouraging my teammates to push their limits. Hockey taught me that true leaders inspire others to work toward a common goal, a lesson I now carry into many aspects of my life.
The hard work required in hockey—hours of practice, constant conditioning, and pushing through tough games—instilled a strong work ethic in me. Hockey doesn’t allow shortcuts, and that discipline has translated into other areas, like academics and work. I learned the value of commitment and resilience, knowing that putting in the work consistently leads to improvement and results over time.
Lastly, hockey is the ultimate team sport, and it’s taught me the importance of collaboration and trust. Whether on defense, offense, or in goal, everyone’s role matters, and success comes from working together. This focus on teamwork has helped me build strong relationships and a sense of accountability, both on and off the ice. High school hockey not only gave me great memories but also equipped me with life skills that continue to benefit me every day."
Nolan: "Hockey has always allowed me to grow close with my teammates, but in my time at Dow I was able to establish life-long friendships and memories. There is nothing even similar to the culture that was created in those four short years."
Coach Roberts: Giving Back
Alumni Spotlight August 2024
Many of you know Coach Roberts as one of our current Dow High Hockey Assistant Coaches, but did you know he is a Dow High Hockey Alumni?
Year(s) and Position(s): 2011-2014 Sophomore-Senior Years
Position(s): Started as a defenseman until junior year and requested to become a forward for his last two seasons.
Post High School Experience: Played for SVSU hockey program. Made the 2016 National Select Team and played in Europe. In 2018, Steven had the opportunity to play again on the National Select Team in Russia.
Currently: Steven has just finished his second season as an Assistant Coach for Dow High Hockey.
Steven now works as a project estimator for O’Keefe Electric.
Steven also enjoys playing local men’s league hockey, which has the opportunity to play against head coach, Cody Keefer.
Favorite Dow High Hockey Memory: Sophomore Year Regionals beating Midland High. This was the first time since 2006 that Dow had beat Midland High. The team also ended up beating Saginaw Heritage in the next Regional game.
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